— Funny thing happened to me the other day. I needed a haircut, but I had forgotten to make an appointment with my stylist who requires four days notice. So, I had to be a walk-in at some random shop in Muskogee. Mistake.

As soon as I walked in, the owner who looked like she had just been through it that day, and was in a very bad mood, scowled and said, “You need a haircut?” I said, “Yes.” She said, “Come on! Sit down right here!” I walked over and said, “How are you today?” She said, “Alright, I guess.” I said, “Alright for a work day?” She said, “ Huh?!”  I said, “You’re doing alright for a work day?” She smirked and said, “I guess. How do you want your hair cut?”

And before I could even explain anything to her, she flicked-on her electric clippers and started-in on the back of my hair!

Quickly on her fourth swipe, I was beginning to panic. Trying to get her to slow down, I told her that I was leading worship this Sunday and that a lot of people might be looking at my hair.

She said, “It’ll grow back! That’s what I always say, it’ll grow back, it’s just hair! Besides, they shouldn’t be worried about your hair. They should be worshipping!”

I thought, “Mercy! What have I gotten myself into?” An angry hair stylist had somehow landed me in her hair lair chair, and was evidently taking her bad day out on the unsuspecting customer — me!

Feeling pressure to work fast in diffusing the situation, I began to compliment her confidence in hair styling. After explaining to me that she had been cutting hair for way too many years, she slowly but surely she began to talk in normal tones and even smile a little.

I’m glad she was feeling better because it took me the next three hours for my adrenaline to stop pumping! Thank goodness, she actually knew her craft well enough to give me a pretty decent looking haircut.

But it was her chair-side manner that came this close to making me bolt for the door, cape or no cape, finished or not!

In Ephesians 4:15 the apostle Paul says, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”

As Christians, nobody really cares what we have to say to them if our attitude is not right. Yes, it is important to know the truth and speak the truth. But it is just as important to speak it with a spirit of compassion and love. God bless you and have a great week!

Reach Barrett Vanlandingham at the Fort Gibson Church of Christ at (918) 478-2222 or barrett@ftgcc.org.